U.S. continues goal to boost East African trade

Monday, August 12, 2013

The United States and an economic bloc of five East African countries have agreed to launch formal negotiations on a trade facilitation agreement, announced U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman on Monday.
The move is part of President Obama’s Trade Africa initiative following a U.S.-East African Community (EAC) Trade Ministerial Meeting. The EAC is a regional economic organization comprised of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda and represents a market with significant opportunity for U.S. exports and investment.
In parallel with the trade facilitation agreement negotiations, the United States will focus on sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade. The U.S. Agency for International Development will also transform the East Africa Trade Hub into a U.S.-East Africa Trade and Investment Center to expand U.S. regional trade programs, encourage private investment, and increase business-to-business and association-to-association partnerships.
In addition, the United States will form a new partnership with TradeMark East Africa, a multi-donor funded organization to support greater EAC regional integration by breaking down barriers at the border and facilitating trade, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said.